A NUNEATON head teacher has hit out over Warwickshire County Council’s decision to choose a sponsor for the town’s new academy without any consultation.

Peter Kingham’s Etone School was originally earmarked to be involved in the academy set-up. But county councillors have since decided to merge Manor Park and Alderman Smith schools, with the new centre being based in Stockingford, to open next year.

It has been proposed that the academy will be sponsored by North Warwickshire and Hinckley College, in conjunction with the county council.

Mr Kingham said: “The local authority has unilaterally decided who they think the sponsor of the academy should be. There has been no consultation with other people or other sponsors. Parents have not been given the choice nor students nor the community of Nuneaton. That is wrong and unjust.

“It is my belief that the local authority should consider other sponsors and let the people decide what suits them best. I also believe the council should be willing to stand aside as a sponsor and let others get on with the academy.

“The local authority has had several years to solve the problems of the two schools that would close as a result of the academy but they have failed. They should stand aside and let others sort the issues and improve the standards.

“Etone would certainly be interested in being a sponsor and I know there are lots of other potential sponsors available.”

Mr Kingham added that in other parts of the UK there are judicial reviews taking place on this same issue and if they were found in favour the local authority would have no choice but to be more open. Some unions, parent groups and others are using this as a method of slowing down or stopping the opening of any academy.

County Council leader Alan Farnell said, “I am surprised by the challenge made by the headteacher of Etone to our decision to ask North Warwickshire and Hinckley College to be the sponsor of the proposed academy in Nuneaton.

“Firstly, Mr Kingham needs to understand that decisions such as this are taken by the county council, the democratically elected representatives of the people of Warwickshire.

“There has been and will continue to be discussion about whether the plan the council has put forward is the right one.”